Stay Out Of The Heat
by Team-Jazz
Summary: Set 1 and 1/2 years after the events of 10110011. The annual police convention comes to Miami, but things start to take a serious turn for Riley. MiamixNYxVegas crossover
1. Prologue

**SEQUEL!!!**

**I just had to start writing it :P I couldn't wait any longer**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: CSI belongs to CBS**

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Prologue

"Congratulations Miss Brighten, you are now a fully fledged CSI Level 1" Horatio smiled as the team burst into cheers.

A year and a half of hard training was now over and I had finally passed my proficiency. I'm not sure when exactly I had decided to start training. I came back to work after the Christmas holidays and asked Horatio if it was possible, and he was more than happy to start my training.

The first scene had been difficult to say the least. It was a stabbing, and there was blood _everywhere. _I must have stood for at least three minutes, gaping before Horatio noticed.

"Something wrong?" He had asked, slightly concerned.

"No, I just have a tiny, insignificant, potentially problematic fear of blood." He had looked at me then, eyebrows raised in an unspoken question.

"But I'll be fine. They do say that have to face your fears after all" I'd chirped. Perhaps too cheerfully, but it seemed to do the trick. He had returned to work, and I had began taking notes.

It was after that day that Horatio had made sure I got my fair share of blood soaked victims. By the time my first month was over, I thought nothing of it. I was to tired to.

I hadn't been the easiest student. For instance, the day Calleigh had first taken me to the firing range had been a disaster, and we were all hoping that the day would never come that I would have to use a gun. After that Calleigh had taken me under her wing, and I practiced with her at least once a week if we had time.

Eric had seemed frustrated at first when he was loaded down by me, but my thirst for knowledge won him over slightly, and he was at least civil to me. That didn't stop me being incredibly nervous when around him.

And Ryan, well Ryan never changed. If anything, he was even more friendly, giving me tips here and there to get me through the day.

The week that I finally earned my title was a busy one, and we were all loaded down with work. It was the middle of summer, and the temperatures had rocketed. The morgue was filling up, and we had to determine which of the bodies were there due to the heat or due to murder. And to top it all, the annual police convention was at the end of the week, with police and CSIs from all over the country coming to Miami, the host of this year's convention.

I excitement left an infectious buzz in the air that left you wondering what the others would be like, if they were nice or if they were cold. How they started their jobs, how long they had been doing, why they did what they did. The girls in the police department were all as hyper as school girls, talking about the dance at the end of it. It was nothing big, just a buffet and a bit of a party to see everyone off and enjoy ourselves before it was back to work. But they all seemed to think it was like life or death. Partners seemed to be the main topic of conversation.

Even Horatio seemed unusually cheerful, commenting that he was looking forward to seeing some CSIs that he had met during cases in other regions. When Calleigh had asked him if there was a special lady he was hoping to see, he just laughed.

The summer spirit was definitely in the air, and I was ready to enjoy it as a fully fledged CSI.

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**Yay! Summer Time!!**

**Please R&R**


	2. Crowds

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**You may notice that the couple is still not obvious. Stay tuned ;)**

**Review Replies**

**Delko'sGirl88 - I'm not too sure yet :P I'm thinking she may be, at least in the background. Possibly an OC, and possible Stella, becaus eI loved the chemistry between them during "Manhattan Manhunt"**

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The crowds were everywhere. Corridors were filled with bodies, each with their region printed on the back of their coats. I was sporting one of the many "CSI: MIAMI" jackets, and was proudly flashing my new badge which sparkled due to the fact that I had polished it that morning. Twice.

Calleigh and Eric disappeared to the firing range for the workshop that was taking place there. Not that they needed any help on the subject, but they were looking forward to it.

Horatio had introduced me to the head of the New York crime lab, Detective Mac Taylor. He seemed nice enough, but it didn't stop me stuttering my way through the conversation. I'd left them swapping stories of different cases over the past few months, and made my way towards a large crowd down the corridor.

A small, balding mad was droning on about a new piece of technology for extracting DNA from evidence. The others were nodding enthusiastically, and I tried to keep up, failing miserably. Turning around and sighing, I spotted a familiar jacket amongst the sea of people, and headed towards it.

Ryan was at the refreshments table, helping himself to a glass of water to help fight back the heat that was worsened by the crowds. As he spotted me, he grabbed another glass, offering it to me with a smile.

"Tough crowd huh?" he chuckled, and I rolled my eyes

"I don't like large groups of people" I complained, frowning

"Shall I add that to your list of fears" He teased, and I hit him playfully on the shoulder, smirking.

"So where are you heading?" I asked, hoping that it was to the same workshop as me. "To the sound and visual workshop. I don't suppose you'll need it though" I shook my head, looking around the crowd to hide my disappointment. He didn't seem to notice and asked me where I was planning on going.

"There's a self defence one I'm planning on checking out. You know how I am with that sort of thing" I laughed, and he joined in. We reached the swing doors that announced our parting of ways and stopped.

"Meet you for lunch then?" He asked, and I nodded, watching him disappear into the crowd. With a sigh, I headed to the room I was looking for.

When I reached it, only half of the seats were full, and I took one near the back, beside two men with badges announcing that they were from New York. Their thick accents confirmed this, as I listened to what they were saying.

"Aww come on Flack, it's not like we need to be here!" One man was complaining, receiving a chuckle from the other.

"Look Messer, if you wanna run along to one of your little forensic workshops then be my guest" He scolded, but I had the feeling that they were mucking about. The smiles on their faces confirmed that.

I looked around the room, taking in the other occupants. There were two other girls, one a police officer and the other, a CSI whose jacket told me she was from Chicago. They were both sitting together, trying to ignore a young man who was obviously trying to chat them up. He looked about my age, with unruly dark brown hair that stuck out in all directions. The back of his jacket proclaimed him to be one of Vegas' CSIs, although he seemed almost too cheerful to be dealing with death everyday, so I guessed that he was new. He turned around in his chair, bored with the girls, and flashed a dazzling smile when he caught me looking. I blushed, and heard him chuckle as I looked away, waiting for the workshop to start.

The lecturer walked in, a small, bulky women who looked as hard as stone. She had a determined look on her face as she gazed around the room.

"A lot of CSIs today" she commented, and I felt self-conscious again.

"That's cause they can't keep out of trouble" the tall man beside me laughed. What was his name again?

"Shut-up Flack" the other man snarled, hitting him lightly on the arm. Flack, that was it. A look of mock hurt crossed his face as he turned around to reply to Messer, but the instructor interrupted.

"This is serious gentlemen. I will be teaching you all to keep yourself safe." She snapped.

And at that moment, the screech of machine gun fire rang out through the room as the instructor crumpled to the floor, and chaos reigned about me.

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**OOOOH!**

**R and R please**


	3. Questions

**Thanks so much for your support! This chapter is dedicated to you guys :D**

**And there's a little something for you Ryan fans xD**

**Enjoy ^^**

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It happened so quickly, I didn't have time to blink. One minute, I sat rooted to the spot, watching as the instructor fell in slow motion. The next, I was on the floor, dazed, with something heavy covering me from the shards of metal and plaster that were raining down around me. The noise stopped, my ears still ringing from the sound, and I suddenly realised that someone was speaking to me.

"Are you ok?" A deep voice asked, and I sat up to find two intense, blue eyes staring at me with concern. Flack was covered with debris, with even more scattered on the floor around us.

"What happened?" I asked, confused, my vision swimming slightly before my eyes.

"You froze, just sat there while the roof was caving in on you" I looked up to find one of the ceiling tiles above us smashed to smithereens. The bullets had ripped right through it, smashing the lights and bringing near darkness to the room.

Three figures ran in, each with their hoods up and scarves covering their mouths. They each carried machine guns in their hands, and had a deadly air about them. The lead one stopped glaring about the room. He marched over to the body of the instructor, giving her a violent kick. The others, marched towards us, guns raised and pointing at us. The nearest one motioned for us to stand, and I shakily got to my feet, feeling Flack's hand on my arm for support. He stood in front of me, blocking the path of any bullets should the man decide to shoot, and glared. The man jabbed him in the chest with his gun and snarled at us.

"Move. Both of you." We began to make our way to the wall where the others stood, but he stopped us "No, cops on that side"

Just when I thought I'd found someone I'd possible be safe with, they split us up. I walked quickly to the other wall where Messer was standing at the other end small group of people. It worried me that these men distinguished us as "cops" and "CSIs". This couldn't just be a random attack.

The man in charge marched up to the line, jabbing Messer in the chest.

"Name and rank" when there was no, he jabbed harder and repeated the question.

"Danny Messer. CSI Detective Third Grade" He spat at the man, and with a grunt, he moved on.

I focused on not shaking or making a noise as he passed down the line. I glanced to the other side of the room where the police officers were undergoing the same treatment, and then back to my hands, which were clenched into fists to stop them from quaking. I jumped as I heard a voice beside me.

"G-Greg Sanders. CSI Level 1" His voice shook and I glanced to the side to find the young man who had been flirting with the ladies earlier. He was now physically shaking, and as the hooded man walked on, he shut his eyes and tried to control himself.

"You. Name and rank" The machine-gun was incredibly close to my stomach. To close for comfort in fact. I gulped, steadying my self and answered.

"Riley Brighten. CSI Level 1" Even in the circumstances, I felt a surge of pride at the words. Only a week had passed since the day I had passed my proficiency, but it felt like it had been centuries away. I found my self longing to be back there, sitting with my friends, laughing over a cup of coffee. But the jab to my stomach brought me back to earth with a bump.

" I said, are you related to Mr Robert Brighten?" The colour drained from my face, and I felt like an empty shell. What else had my father been involved with? Maybe he'd cheated them out of an illegal deal; maybe they wanted revenge, maybe…

"Good man. Saved the bosses neck a few times. How is he?" I stared, open mouthed at the man. Was I dreaming or was I knocked out, lying on the floor?

I regained my composure "He was arrested a two years ago" I answered coldly.

His sneer disappeared and he glared at me.

"You must be the black sheep of the family" He commented, and I stood stick still as he leant in towards me. His breath was sour, and I tried not to cough.

"I don't like sheep" He rasped, as the gun was pressed against me, harder than before. The silence was broken as my phone began to ring in my pocket, and I groaned inwardly. After the man nodded to me, I pulled it out and stared down at the caller ID, feeling a jolt of hope.

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**Ryan's POV**

I was starting to get worried. Riley was half an hour late for lunch, and I'd been standing waiting for her where we had arranged. If she wasn't usually so punctual, I might not have been so concerned, but in the time I'd known her, I'd gotten the impression that she'd never been late for anything in her life.

After ten minutes of waiting, I'd bought her a sandwich before they were all sold, but it now sat uneaten on the chair beside me. The break room was relatively quiet, that's why we had chosen it for our lunch time destination. Only a few others sat in the room, and only one of them wasn't actually from Miami. The man in question was sporting a "Seattle" coat, although how he could stand wearing it in the heat I don't know. Even with the air conditioning on I'd abandoned mine long ago, settling for a t-shirt instead. Only the badge now attached to it told the other's where I was from.

Sighing, I stood up, chucking the uneaten and now dried up sandwich in the bin, and heading along the corridor. As I passed Horatio's office, voices floated out to meet me, and I knocked on his door, hoping that Riley had stopped by there and had just not noticed the time. I opened the door to find Horatio and three other occupants. Their badges told me that two of them, a man and a woman, were from New York, and the other woman from Vegas. She tailed off as I entered.

"Well I was hoping to introduce you to Grissom, but he's attending a seminar on the use of bugs during an investigation. He just couldn't resist. Knowing him, he'll be trying to teach the lecturer instead of the other way around." She gave a laugh, smiling.

"What can I do for you Mr Wolfe?" Horatio asked, and I felt slightly foolish in front of the others.

"I was just wondering if you've seen Riley. She was supposed to meet me half an hour ago but she didn't turn up." He frowned, thinking.

"Wasn't she at the Self-defence workshop? It finished an half an hour ago"

The woman from New York piped up. "Hey Mac, wasn't Danny and Flack supposed to be going to that? I haven't seen them about since this morning"  
"Yeah Greg too" The other woman commented.

I felt the blood drain from my face. That was three other people who hadn't turned up since. I had a terrible feeling that something had gone wrong.

I whipped my phone from my back pocket and began pacing the room, muttering "Pick up, come on pick up!" under my breath. After a what seemed like an age, my call was answered, and I listened in horror to the voice at the other end as it spoke three terrifying words.

"We have them"

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**OOOOH!**

**R and R please **


	4. Contact

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**I think you might start to guess the couple now. Possibly. Just a tad...**

**Enjoy ^^**

**R&R please!**

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**Ryan POV**

We marched along the corridor at a breakneck speed, towards the communications room. The criminal had given us clear instructions that we weren't about to break anytime soon. The air was still with a deadly atmosphere, as the footsteps of five tense people echoed off the walls. The news had not been given to the other officers and CSIs yet, panic was not needed in this situation. We had to stay calm, to think methodically. That didn't stop me thinking "Oh God, oh God, oh God…" over and over again in my head.

I came out of my thoughts as Horatio started to speak, trying to keep my mind on what he was saying. Mac was talking quickly on the phone to someone on the other end, giving them the details. He hung up, looking grim.

"That was Hawkes. He's been waiting at the pick-up point for the next workshop at the firing range but the last group hasn't returned yet. It looks like it's bigger than we thought"

"That's another two of my team down" Horatio replied, equally grim. Calleigh and Eric had been heading out there.

A young woman appeared at the end of the corridor, rushing towards us. She looked worried, but relaxed slightly when she saw us.

"Have you two seen Danny?" She asked Stella and Mac, and they looked at each other before turning back to her.

"Lindsey. We have reason to believe that Danny, Flack and a number of others have been taken hostage. We're on our way to the communications room to make contact now"

Lindsey stood staring, her mouth slightly open for a second before reaching up to clutch her forehead.

"Oh God…" She whispered, the surprise and worry evident on her face. She clearly cared a lot for those who had been taken hostage. She wasn't the only one.

I found myself thinking again about Riley. About things I'd meant to say, and do. If anything happened…

"Mr Wolfe!" Horatio called loudly, and obviously for the second or third time. I looked up to find myself far behind the group, I muttered my apologies and hurried to catch up, falling into step beside Lindsey.

We reached our destination and walked inside, the officers inside looking worried. "What is this?" asked a stout man with a handle bar moustache. He spoke loudly, and it was evident from his accent that he was from Texas. The badge on his shirt confirmed this, announcing him to be the head of the Houston crime lab. His face dropped as Horatio quietly explained the situation, and he sent the other CSIs and officers who had been there for a workshop outside.

The door burst open, and another man walked in. He had a short beard and moustache, and walked as though his legs were stiff. He was still clutching a small jar that contained a beetle of some sort in one hand, and had obviously rushed away from the seminar he had been at. This man had to be Grissom.

"I came as soon as my pager beeped" He told us, rushing over and sitting the jar on the table. He was about to speak again when the monitor flashed into life.

On screen sat a group of about thirty people, gathered in a group on the floor. Behind them stood to men, their faces covered, wielding machine guns. A cold shudder ran down my spine as I searched the faces, looking for one in particular. Riley sat on the floor, gazing at the screen with wide, terrified eyes that made her look as though she was only a child. A man stepped in front of the screen, blocking her from view, and began to speak.

**Riley POV**

They ordered us to all sit on the floor, and we complied, although we were terrified of what they would do. The leader began to talk on my phone to whoever was on the other end, and I wondered idly of it was Ryan. He'd called me, obviously worried when I hadn't turned up for lunch, and with good reason.

The group gathered, and huddled together. I found myself beside Flack once again, and he gave me a reassuring nod. Greg settled on the other side, his knees visibly quaking as he sat down.

"We're all going to die" He muttered, and I looked up. The tears were evident in his eyes. I started to answer, but the nearest hooded man gave me a sharp poke in the back with the muzzle of his gun and I closed my mouth quickly.

The screen flashed to life, and I stared at those who faced me. The first one I noticed was Ryan, a scared look on his face that he was trying to cover but failing. He stared at me, until the leader stepped in front of the screen and he was lost from view. Seeking comfort, I looked at the others, and found Horatio, still and calm as ever, with his sunglasses in hand. He gave me a soul piercing look and I felt myself calm.

"Well well, you responded then" The leader mused, the smirk evident behind the mask. "They've been very biddable you know. He glanced at us and then back at the screen.

"We have others too, you may have noticed that the firing range workshop id unavailable. Such a shame. I was planning to call you soon but you did the job for me. Tell me, which one of you is Ryan?" I saw Horatio glance to the side "Well then thank you kind sir, you've certainly made sure that we have your attention"

He walked back to the group, looking at each one of us in turn.

"It's a shame that they're all so young. But still it must be done. You see, my boss isn't too happy that some of his workers are in custody, taken in by measly cops all over the country. He wants them released. All of them. You have until seven tomorrow morning, and after that, I will kill one person for every half an hour that you are late." The group began their panicked whimpers and cries. He suddenly spun around.

"And now to show you I mean what I say" He whipped out a pistol from his belt, pointed it at the nearest hostage, and pulled the trigger.

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**Oh Dearie me!! Dx**

**R and R please**


	5. Keep Your Friends Close

**I'm back!!! Sorry for the wait, I've been sitting my Highers. But they're all done now, and I'm on study leave, so I have lots of free time to write :)**

**So I hope you enjoy this chapter, please review ^^**

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**Chapter 5 - Keep Your Friends Close...**

**Riley's POV**

I watched as the men left the room, one positioning himself outside the door, machine gun in hand, just before it swung shut blocking him from view. The sobs started, but I took in none of the people around me. The body held my whole attention.

He lay in front of me, eyes closed as if he was only sleeping, but the blood ruined this vision. It stained his crisp white shirt, leaking into a pool on the ground around him. The spatter arched across the floor, and I found myself rubbing off stray droplets that had hit my arms. A stray tear fell from my eye, running down my cheek. As the rubbing became more furious, the more the tears fell, until I was silently crying with shock and repulsion. When dealing with crime scenes, we only see the aftermath. But in reality, the event itself is much worse.

I felt a hand in mine, and turned to find Greg sitting beside me, wiping away the tears that he had fought so hard to control before. He tried to give a reassuring smile, but failed, it turning into a grimace. I cleared my throat, looking up at the screen which was now black, wishing that I could see the faces of those that we trusted again. But no matter how dire the situation was, I still held a tiny shred of hope. Horatio was on the case, and I'd never seen him fail before. He'd somehow get us out of this.

"Grissom will work something out," Greg told me, sounding completely convinced.

I gave him a small smile, "I was thinking the same about Horatio"

"Well if they work together we'll be out of here in no time" He joked half-heartedly, and I realised that in any other situation, he must be the comic relief.

The heat in the room was becoming unbearable, and with the near pitch darkness and dead body, the tension was building. Everyone was still petrified that they'd be next, and none of us trusted the man's word that we'd be safe until the next morning. I fidgeted where I sat, feeling uncomfortably warm, before giving up with a sigh. I slowly stood up, some of the others watching me in fear. Keeping my eyes on the door, I made my way back to my seat where I had left my bag, and grabbed it, returning to the group quickly. After shedding my jacket, feeling much cooler in the t-shirt underneath, I sat down, and watched as the rest of the room decided to move around now that they knew that they wouldn't be shot for doing so.

"My cell's not working" Greg complained, frowning as he looked at the screen. The others all took theirs out of their pockets and bags.

"Neither is mine" Replied Danny

The results were the same throughout the room, and I found my mind going into immediate overdrive, going through the list of reasons for this.

"They've scrambled the radio frequency," I blurted out, and everyone stopped talking to look at me. Unnerved, I found myself explaining, "I used to be in technical support"

"Can you get us in contact with the outside world?" Flack asked hopefully, and I nodded hurrying over to the desk where the computer sat.

"Does anyone have a screwdriver?" I asked stupidly, before shaking my head, no one would seriously carry one around.

I opened the drawers on the desk, delving through the contents and paperwork inside trying to find something that would be useful. As I reached the third drawer, it was looking bleak until I found an unused paperclip. Bending it t the right shape, I began to unscrew the back of the computer. The paperclip kept slipping, and by the time I had removed all of the screws, my nails were torn and sore. A small group of people had gathered around me, waiting impatiently for me to finish.

The group consisted of seven people, including Flack, Danny, Greg and four others, who introduced themselves. Mark, Cameron and Eli were all from Boston and had graduated from the police academy together. Paula was a CSI from Atlanta and had a sharp temper, which was only made worse by the situation. The stress was clearly getting to her.

I started pulling the wires inside of the machine, struggling to squeeze my fingers inside. It was an old model that had clearly been used for years, a thick layer of dust covering the circuit-boards inside.

"If I can just hack in to the network..." I muttered as I started to type away at the keyboard, my fingers flying as fast as was possible.

The screen flickered, and I groaned in frustration as the computer froze before delving back into the circuitry. There had to be a way.

A noise outside the door stopped us all in our tracks. Flack and Danny rushed to the door, each picking up one of the plastic chairs that we had all been happily sitting on not even an hour ago. The two men stood either side of the door as it creaked open, the guard walking in to check on us

"What the..." He uttered, before two chairs were smashed over his head. He crumpled to the ground, and the door swung shut. I stared at the knocked out man on the floor for a few more seconds before getting back to work.

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**Ryan's POV**

The supervisors from all over the country stood in the communications room, arguing. When the news had spread, a cloud of panic and engulfed Miami Dade Police Department and each supervisor thought that they had the most intelligent strategy. The large man from Houston was shouting at a small woman from Dallas, who was shouting back with equal fervor. The older woman from Cleveland was scolding the younger man from Jacksonville, who was shaking his head. All in all, no one seemed to be getting along. No one except from the small group of people at the front of the room.

Horatio was quietly discussing the situation with the others, while I stood at the side with Lindsey, the panicked young woman from New York. We were both overcome with worry and horror after watching the first execution, and waited anxiously for the verdict from our superiors. The door to the room opened, and we were joined by two more men, who hurried over to Grissom and Catherine. After talking quickly to them, they joined us, nodding a greeting.

"I'm Nick Stokes and this is Warrick Brown. Las Vegas Crime Lab" Nick explained in a grim voice, before we introduced ourselves. A moment of silence passed.

"So how are they holding up?" Warrick asked, and I looked at Lindsey

"They seem unharmed. But they executed a young CSI from Chicago. We have until seven in the morning" I told them quietly, both men shaking their heads at the news of the death.

The screen suddenly flickered into life, and the room went silent, staring at the scene in front of us. A group of seven hostages stood around the table in front of the camera, looking up in shock. The others sat on the floor behind in various stages of panic and shock. The body of the CSI still lay where he had been shot, but another body had joined him on the floor. Clad in black, it had to be one of the men.

And surrounded by computer parts with her hands still inside the wiring of the machine and a triumphant look on her face, sat the one person I was most worried about.

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**Hope you like it ^^**

**Just to explain a little thing, you may wonder why Greg was crying, but I get the impression from him that that is how he would react to the situation, especially in his first days as a CSI. He did after all cry when he was beaten up, so the thought of being taken hostage and killed would have the same effect, or so I think anyway :)**

**REVIEW!!**


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